Being a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) for nearly 50 years has given author John Harty Jr., ’69, the opportunity to have an inside view of theater, television and film production. This, combined with his love of history, has led to the creation of “The Cinematic Challenge” series of books, a nonfiction, survey history of the making of motion pictures about colonial America.
Harty’s newest book, “The Cinematic Challenge Filming Colonial America, volume 2, “The Independent Years, 1950-1975,” contains in-depth case studies of four films: “The Light in the Forest,” “John Paul Jones,” “The Devil’s Disciple” and “1776.” Relating these colonial films to the broader historical and cultural context within which they were made will help the reader understand why so few colonial films have been made and how difficult the road was to critical and financial success.
Harty says colonial films were important as expressions of the filmmakers’ interpretation of the historical facts and as signposts of the sociopolitical environment within the United States.
Volume 1 “The Golden Age, 1930-1950” was published in 2017. Harty’s books are available at mybookorders.com, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Recent Comments